Making the case for social Europe

The European Social Model

TUC Regional Conferences

Speech by Europe spokesperson Billy Hayes

Following up the General Council statement to Congress on Europe this September, the TUC will be holding a series of seminars on the European Social Model. The first was in Cardiff on 23 November 2006, and General Council spokesperson on Europe, Billy Hayes (General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union) gave the keynote speech.

The full text is available on Billy's personal weblog at www.billyhayes.co.uk/permalink.php?id=774_0_1_0_M but the main points were:

• Europe must be part of the trade union movement's answer to globalisation;
• the EU must improve its economic performance by promoting growth rather than labour market flexibility;
• workers' rights need to be recognised and respected;
• we need to address the EU's democratic deficit; and
• we need to address the organising challenge at European level.